Daniels backs McCain paring convention

September 01, 2008|By ED RONCO Tribune Staff Writer

Gov. Mitch Daniels, R-Ind., spoke by phone with The Tribune from St. Paul, Minn., where the Republican National Convention is set to take place this week. What follows is a transcript of the interview, recorded Sunday afternoon. To hear an audio recording of the conversation, go to www.southbendtribune.com/daniels. South Bend Tribune: Tell us a little about what you hope to see this week. Gov. Mitch Daniels: Well, first of all I'm hoping that much of this convention can take place, but I completely support the decision of Senator McCain and the organizers to downsize it, given the concern we all have about the impending storms in the Gulf. I think it's the right thing to do, and I feel badly for the folks who worked so hard for a couple years to put it together that much of it won't happen now, but I support that decision and my hopes are that those parts that do go forward, the official business, will still keep Americans' attention. The Tribune: On Friday, Senator McCain announced his vice presidential pick: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Critics say she's a bad choice because she's only been a governor for a couple years and prior to that was mayor of a pretty small town. As a governor yourself, what can you say about how that job prepares someone for higher office? Daniels: First, I'd say that she's at least as well qualified as, for instance, (Democratic presidential nominee) Senator (Barack) Obama, who's never had executive responsibility for anything. If you think being mayor of a town or governor is an easy job, you ought to have a second look. No, I think she will be a very credible nominee. I'm very excited. I'd hoped to see a woman on the Republican ticket for a long time, and someone who comes with executive experience and a lot of understanding of issues like energy I think will hold up very well. It'll all depend on her performance, but I expect her to continue performing well. The Tribune: Even so, does adding her to the ticket negate one of the GOP's strongest criticisms of Senator Obama -- that he's inexperienced? Daniels: Not in my judgment. Once again, she brings dimensions that neither he nor (Democratic vice presidential nominee) Senator (Joseph) Biden can claim to bring, and so I think their criticisms of her are probably not fully credible. Even a little condescending. I expect her to show the same sort of grasp of issues that I've seen in the couple of encounters I've had with her and that she's shown in her first couple days as the nominee. The Tribune: Let's talk about the convention as a whole: What is the most important thing Senator McCain has to do this week to convince undecided voters he's the right pick for president? Daniels: I think lay out a compelling set of approaches and changes that he'll stand for as president. He's been an independent thinker. His whole career has been marked by independence of judgment, standing up sometimes against his own party and his president. Now this is the all-maverick ticket now that he's added Sarah Palin to it. Talking about a new course for the country -- one that's in stark contrast to . . . the other side -- is his assignment. The Tribune: The Democratic Convention in Denver saw about 75,000 people turn out to hear Senator Obama accept his party's nomination. Any worry that kind of crowd and that kind of a spectacle could be a tough act to follow? Daniels: No. I thought it was effective stagecraft but really what matters is the content of the character of the candidates and the content of what they have to say. Senator Obama still has a significant problem. What he's offering is a massive expansion of government spending, taxing and power. There are alternative ways to address this country's problems. Senator McCain -- this is his chance to talk about what those are. The Tribune: How much of the campaign, in terms of how to address the voters, is about either disproving Senator Obama's arguments or making a compelling case in the affirmative for Senator McCain? How do you see that balance? Daniels: I've always believed that politics and campaigns ought to be conducted in the affirmative, and ought to be positive and constructive. That's certainly been the approach we've adopted. I think that's absolutely Senator McCain's instinct. The negative campaigning we've seen today has tended to come from the other side. I think Senator McCain needs to maintain discipline to be the decent and humble person he's been, and fill in some blanks that Americans are waiting to hear, about how he'd address the high cost of energy, how he'd address the poor performance of the federal government, how he'd address the threats to this nation internationally. He's got a great chance to offer superior proposals there and I hope he stays positive and affirmative all the way. The Tribune: You've served in Washington as director of the Office of Management and Budget in President Bush's first term. Did you cross paths with Senator McCain during that time? Daniels: Yeah, some. He and I were closely aligned -- we were probably the first two opponents of what everybody now knows as earmarks. I didn't have much success back then but he persevered and now I think people have a whole new outlook on that score. He and I were also allied in stopping the Boeing tanker lease which later turned out to be a very bad idea and even had scandalous aspects. So yes, we did. Not often, but when we did I really admired his willingness to stand alone when necessary. The Tribune: If Senator McCain is elected, could you see any scenario where you would return to Washington to possibly serve in his administration? Daniels: No. I obviously have my sights completely fixed on Indiana. I'll be here less than 24 hours. I agreed to come just to say thank you to a few people. All of my attention is fixed on the next set of steps we might take to make Indiana a better place for our kids. Staff writer Ed Ronco: eronco@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6353